After reading Dress Your Best Life by Dawnn Karen I had the urge to find an LBD that really personified Coco Chanel in the 1930s. It didn’t matter that I loved the LBD’s I already owned, and how each one was different in its own way, I wanted one that was romantic, girly, and day to night.

Finally when I found a short-sleeved Max Studio LBD in a small marked down to under $50 at one of my favorite stores I knew I found the one I was searching for. Different than the Calvin Klein number I bought at Ross Dress For Less, the long maxi wool jumper and Basile avant-garde sheath I bought at Goodwill, the cotton wraparound I ordered online, and the 1960s drop-waisted vintage one I bought at Daniel Freeman Thrift Auxiliary, this lovely little frock practically begged for a flower choker or soft cardigan to complete it.

Initially, I thought the dress was too small for me, and it was too low cut, but since it was made out of stretch lace, it fit perfectly. Another good thing about it is it helps me overcome my bias against the color black. Texturally its beautiful silhouette prevents the strict traditionalism I was trying to avoid by flowing over my curves instead of jettisoning sharply across them. When I visualize Chanel during the 30s, I see a softness apparent in this dress’s overall design, that mirrors, what she was striving for during that era. For me, now I’d like to retain the same softness and expand the definition of the LBD as a go-to garment where dreams are as significant as style.